Travelling to Mongolia’s westernmost province gives you the distinct feeling of having reached the end of the road, if not, the end of the earth. High, dry and wild, the isolated, oddly shaped Bayan-Ulgii follows the arc of the Mongol Altai Nuruu as it rolls out of Central Asia towards the barren wastes of the Dzungarian Basin.
Many peaks here are more than 4000m high and permanently covered with glaciers and snow. The valleys have some green pastures that support a few million head of livestock, with bears, foxes, wolves and ibex inhabiting the higher ground.
Unlike the rest of Mongolia, which is dominated by the Khalkh Mongols, about 90 per cent of Bayan-Ulgii’s population is Kazakh. Travelling Mongolians liken coming here to visiting another country. Others who call Bayan-Ulgii home include the Khalkh, Dörvöd, Uriankhai, Tuva and Khoshuud ethnic groups.
Take an overland journey with us to Bayan-Ulgii, one of the most popular tourist destination. The city is crowded with tourists during its famous Golden Eagle Festival that takes place during the first weekend in October.
The Golden Eagle Festival or Eagle Festival, is an annual traditional festival held in Bayan-Ulgii. In the eagle festival, Kazakh eagle hunters (Burkitshi) celebrate their heritage and compete to catch small animals such as foxes and hares with specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills both of the birds and their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for the best traditional Kazakh dress, and more.
The Eagle Festival is run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter’s Association. Dark, rocky mountainous terrain forms the backdrop to the festivities, which incorporate an opening ceremony, parade, cultural exhibitions, demonstrations and handcrafts, followed by sporting activities and competitions for the awards of Best Turned Out Eagle and Owner; Best Eagle at Hunting Prey and Best Eagle at Locating Its Owner from a Distance. Other sporting activities include horse racing, archery and the highly entertaining Bushkashi – goatskin tug of war on horseback. The Eagle Festival is featured in the 2016 documentary The Eagle Huntress, in which the 13-year-old Kazakh girl Aisholpan becomes the first female to enter and win the competition.
Prices below are fixed price for a group of 3 people maximum.
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Local Friends in Mongolia 
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